During a disaster, one of the most significant problems you’re likely to face is the lack of clean drinking water. People living in highly congested urban areas are especially vulnerable, since municipal water supplies can be contaminated or may stop flowing altogether.
This is written for apocalyptic times, when open combat might be present in our country. It could happen as a result of an attack on our Constitution by an out-of-control president, a nuclear event, pandemic, geothermal event, or EMP. Regardless, things will get unfriendly quickly.
Smartphones can now be found just about everywhere on the planet. It’s no exaggeration to say that these incredible devices have changed everything, especially how we communicate. As device functionality and cell service reliability have increased, so has our dependence on this technology. But what happens when there’s no service?
People who prepare usually tend to focus on the survival basics: security/self-defense, water, food, first aid, sanitation/hygiene, knowing when to get out and when to stay put. This represents a great start, and if that’s all you do, you’ll still be far better off than the majority of the population.
For some time, I have either had to put up with a watch that ran slow, or use or make watch bands that separate the watch from my wrist. But with the invention of ABC watches (Altimeter, Barometer, Compass), I started taking a more serious look at digital watches. I didn’t like the watch function being digital any more than I ever had, but the other functionality definitely made up for it.
There are still vast areas, even along interstate highways and in population centers, where cell signal is absent. If you have an emergency in those places, there is no longer a pay phone on the corner, and you’ll find yourself back at the turn of the 20th century in terms of calling for help.
Developing skills is actually a two-part process—learning the “how-to” part from a book or other resource, and then the hands-on part, where you do it yourself, get it right, and then practice the skill often. Once you’ve learned one particular skill, move on to the next.
Bug Out Bags (BOBs), Get-Home Bags, and stored food and supplies give you the edge if you need to set these emergency plans in motion, and hopefully you’ve trained and practiced for those scenarios.
Once the last-minute panic starts, it’s only a few short hours before the shelves of many local grocers, convenience stores, and even big-box retailers are completely stripped of all emergency supplies.
When I look at new gear for evaluation, I always think of multi-use options. For those thinking “outside the box,” there are many creative ways to use the Ranger Rick Paracord Survival Kit.
